SHALL THE GOSPEL BE PREACHED TO THIS GENERATION OP THE CHINESE?*
By Mr. George King, of Si-gan Fu, Shen-si Province.
^HALL the Gospel be preached to this generation
of the Chinese ? A weighty question, truly ; but how can I, a solitary Christian missionary- one of the only two Protestant Christians in this vast heathen city—even entertain such a question ? Yet is there not a cause? Might not God grant the fulfilment of even this vision ? Then I will turn it over in my mind
and think. Shall the Gospel be preached to this generation ? That
suggests the thought of other generations, for whom our preaching is too late. Oh, merciful LORD our GOD, re- buke us not in Thine anger, neither chasten us in Thine
hot displeasure, that we have suffered generation after generation to drift unwarned, unheeded, to destruction ! It has often been said that every third being on the globe
is a Chinese. Then what of that awful world of misery,
the just reward of sin ? Many of the other two-thirds of the world's inhabitants have been won for God ; but the
Chinese third continues little touched—oh, fearful thought!
The Gospel preached to this generation ? Then there
is not much time to lose if that is to be done. " The
King's business requireth haste." " I must work." Yes,
I must ; and in God's strength, I will; but this generation, that's an immense multitude, hundreds of millions here in China alone. / can't reach them, neither can all our missionary brethren, even with the aid of our dear
Chinese fellow-workers. Will anybody help us ? If one
could pour out one's heart to Christian brethren at home
face to face, surely many would come ; who knows
whether writing may not have some effect ? Preach the Gospel to this generation ? Yes, dear friends,
it is neither impracticable nor impossible. The body of missionaries met in Conference at Shanghai in 1877, said, in their appealf for more labourers : " We want China
emancipated from the thraldom of sin in this generation.
It is possible.'' Let us see, then, how it might be done.
HOW MAY THE GOSPEL BE PREACHED TO THIS
GENERATION OF THE CHINESE?
By preachers, assuredly, for " how shall they hear with- out a preacher?" The Apostle continues : "and how
shall they preach except they be sent ? " but our modern
version might appear to run, " except there be funds forth- coming wherewith to support them ?"
* Friends wishing for copies of this paper, with the introductory remarks, and the extracts from the report of the Shanghai
Conference, for distribution, can have them in book form, envelope series, on application at the Offices of the Mission, 6, Pyrland
Road, London, N., at 2s. 6d. per hundred ; or by post at 3s. 6d. per hundred ; or they can be purchased from any bookseller at 6d. per dozen. Published by Messrs. Morgan and Scott, 12, Paternoster Buildings. f See quotations from their report appended to this paper.
CHINAS MILLIONS.
Now, seeing that to accomplish so great a work some
FIFTEEN HUNDRED
missionary preachers would be all too few,* we encounter
at the very outset the objection that such a thought
is "Utopian," "impracticable," "unreasonable," and
all the other big words by which many a God-inspired
thought has been crushed as soon as born. But has our God changed and somehow become poor? Is He not
still the owner of " the cattle upon a thousand hills " and
of all the mighty universe ? Do we really know God ? Nay, do we comprehend the least jot or tittle of His
mighty power, of His yearning, longing love for those
who are out of the way, of His unwillingness that any
should perish ? Will not He, who so freely gave up the
Son of His love, add to that great gift every other good ? In that "gift of all gifts" He has given us the strongest,
fullest promise possible of His willingness to give all
—
nay, " all things " are ours in Him. Surely, when God is taken into account, it is no impracticable, unreasonable
matter we come to discuss, when we ask, " How may the
Gospel be preached to this generation of the Chinese ? " Now the first step is a thorough and general stirring
up of believers, so that the great duty of the Church to disciple all nations may be recognized as the burning
question of the day. We may be sure God never in- tended that a mere sprinkling of earnest souls—a few
here and a few there—should be the only ones possessed
by an intense longing for the salvation of the heathen.
Many Christians who might do so, still lack willingness
to give themselves first, and then their substance to the
LORD for this mighty work. There are probably not a
few of God's children in England, etc., who have a private
income of ^50 per annum ; now that, or even less, say
^40, might in some parts of China suffice, especially if two or more live together and share various expenses,
such as rent, wages of cook and teacher. Should any
feel doubtful as to ,£40 or ^50 being sufficient, I only
wish they would come here and try. I believe they would
be most thoroughly satisfied. Good, abundant, and substantial food, neat, warm, and comfortable clothing, a
fairly comfortable residence, a servant and teacher, all these may be procured in these parts for £\o or ,£50 a- year. Now, if in possession of so much, why not live on
it among the heathen ? Let these sheep without a shepherd have some consideration.
Then in the case of those anxious to go forth, but possessing no private income, might not the plan be more
generally tried of each church sending forth one or more
of its members, and looking upon him as its own missionary, though he might wisely work in connection with the
missionary organization preferred by the church sending
him forth? A church even of 100 members would probably find ^50 within its ability to raise. Perhaps self- denial might need to be more generally practised than at present. " I like " would have to give way to " I can do
without." A little less, and less ornate furniture, dwellings not quite so spacious, dress not too scrupulously following
the fashion, might wonderfully simplify the question of
sending forth more missionaries. Were I in England
again, I would gladly live in one room, make the floor my bed, a box my chair, and another my table, rather
than the heathen should " perish for lack of knowledge."
I believe, too, that Christian merchants and traders
could assist in the effort to "preach the Gospel to this generation of the Chinese," in a way that would not in the end impoverish them. English manufactured goods
of many kinds find a wide and constantly increasing
* As there are 1,500 counties still without resident missionaries.
market in China. Calico and other plain and flowered
cotton goods, rugs, blankets, cloth, and various woollen
materials, watches and clocks, matches, toys and pictures,
sweetmeats and preserved provisions, and numerous other
things, are generally saleable. Much of the calico at present
broughtfrom Englandto Chinais shamefully poor stuff,consisting in great measure of clay, which washed out leaves a mere nothing behind ; butif aChristianmerchantestablished an agency, say at Shanghai or Hankow, supplying really
good materials and articles, and engaging earnest, faithful Christian men to travel throughout the land and sell them, on the understanding that they were to take advantage of every opportunity offering to spread the Gospel, I believe that the goods might be sold at fairly paying rates,
and that the profit would cover the expenses of the tra- veller ; and so this would be a self-supporting and extending plan. I cannot see anything in such a work unbefitting a preacher of the Gospel. Nay, I believe that Christians
thus brought into the Church would be strong, robust and
independent ones, who would not lean on their teacher's aid for alms, employment, and what not. The very fact of seeing their teacher earning his bread by the sweat of
his brow, would be in itself a sufficient sermon. I have
reliable information, that honest, straightforward trade in such articles as I have mentioned has been attempted*
with success. Foreigners may legally travel (and in that way trade) everywhere in China, but are not allowed to publicly establish their warehouses, etc., except at certain
ports, of which Hankow is the most central one. Such
travelling agents need but to go in the spirit of JESUS
Christ, meek, gentle, courteous, honest, truthful, and
forbearing, and they might recommend the Gospel more
widely than even missionaries can hope to do for many a
day.
Then I have not mentioned the sale of good, well-tried
medicines, which would, in the eyes of the Chinese, be even more consonant with the character of a teacher, and would
be pecuniarily successful. The attempt to mitigate the
terrible curse which has come on the land in the smoking of
opium might thus be made to advance God's kingdom.
Any really reliable medicine for stilling the craving for opium, and keeping up the smoker's strength while he
feels the depression caused by abandoning the vice, would
be welcomed and gladly purchased by hundreds of thousands, even though it were costly. Other medicines, too,
pay well, such as chlorodyne, santonine, quinine, good
ointments and plasters, of which the Chinese have none,
suitable patent medicines, etc. The mere sale of these
things would do much good, for such medicines are an immense improvement on what the Chinese themselves
have. In similar ways Christian merchants and traders
might help to solve the question, " How may the Gospel
be preached to this generation of the Chinese ? " True, the men thus employed might not be versed in
all the learning of the ancients, nor even know
a word of Hebrew, Greek, or Latin : but I hope none
would demur on that account to their being sent
forth. Sometimes a desire has been expressed that (only)
men of superior educational and other attainments should
be sent to this great mission-field. Ah me ! What would
be said if the infantry were not allowed to go to war be- cause they were not life-guards? Nelson's renowned
signal was, " England expects every man "—seamen and
marines, as well as officers and captains—" to do his duty." Does not GOD expect every Christian to do his duty ? And while Satan still usurps the rule over such
immense parts of our Redeemer's dominions, is there
* Perhaps it should be stated that where this has been done
it has been under specially favourable circumstances, by old
residents, well acquainted with the language, manners, and
wants of the people.
CHINAS MILLIONS.
much doubt where our duty lies ? I don't know which ode
of Virgil, or which Father of the Church, would help me
to answer the questions asked me day by day : " Is it the same sun in your country as ours?" " Are there any
hills and plains, rivers and lakes, in your land?" etc. Nor does it need a great amount of learning to tell a poor
sinner that an Almighty Saviour waits to save him. What
is needed is first heart, then head. " Heart to heart." Moreover, as a matter of fact, we find, in China as else- where, that it is " the poor " who hear the Gospel gladly : not many wise, not many noble, are called. God still chooses " the weak," "the base," " the despised," "yea,
the things that are not ; " and to reach and influence these it is not so much learning as the constraining love
of Christ, and the mighty power of the Holy Ghost,
that are essential.
Finally, the 1,500 missionaries coming to China would
be no loss to the home Church ; nay, more young men
and women are lost from the Church annually by backsliding, often traceable to a lack of Christian work to engage their hearts and energies, than would suffice to carry the blessed Gospel through the length and breadth
of this heathen land.
If any should desire more particular information, and
will communicate with me, I will gladly give them all I can. Address :
George King,
China Inland Mission,
Han-kow, China.